Reed cushioning device



E C SMITH March 21, 1939.

REED CUSHION? Filed Nov. 14, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR.

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March 21, 1939. E. CSMITH REED CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14, 1936 //////r?/-El:i

March 21, 1939. v E c, SM TH 2,151,488

REED CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. Mrs 25v a Jmz'z/ /Z A TTORNEYS.

' March 21, 1939. E C SMITH 2,151,488

REED CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 xxx V IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Mar. 21 l93 UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE REED CUSHIONING DEVICE Edwin C. Smith, Providence, R. I., assignor to Rhode Island warp Stop Equipment Company, Pawtucket, B. L, a corporation of Maine Application November 14, 1936, Serial No. 110,834

17 Claims".

This invention relates to a cushioning device for use in connection with a 100m reed, and is more particularly an improvement and further development of a device intended to accomplish the general purpose, andshowninthem-pending patent application of Alfred A. Gobei'll'e, Sr., filed October 11, 1934, Serial No. 741,852; andthe objects of this invention are generally as set forthin this said application which has become Patent No. 2,136,077

Anadditional object of this invention is toreduce the movement of the spring or resilient means, which' resilience resists the relative movement of the lay and the reed and to thereby provide anarrangement so that the spring will act with greater uniformity than where the spring is moved over aconsiderable distance.

Another object of the invention is to avoid a tacky action or cramping of the control rod and provide an easier and more responsive" action of the spring than has heretoforeexisted, or exists in the above-mentioned application.

Another object oi the invention is the pro vision of a resistance to the relative movement of the reed and the lay whichis stepped up or increased as the beat up takes place.

Another objector the invention is the provision of a progressively increasing resistance to the relative movement of the reed and the lay with the-use of but a single spring with the compensation taken care of by some shiftable means. such as by a lever whose fulcrum: point is gradually. changing.

Another obpect of the invention is. to provide a better control of the relative movement of the reed and lay by means which may be easily arranged. to provide the desired progressive increase and control of tension and to acquire a steady, gentle, elastic pressure.

With these objects andother objects in view, the invention consists of such novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in. the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relation of the lay and the reed with my cushioning means prominently shown on the lay;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upstanding bracket arm carried by the lay and which in turn pivotally supports the reed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a part of the lay and reed showing my cushioning device in assemble-d position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view or the member pro viding the pivot stud for the reed: holder;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on substantially the line 5-5: of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6: is a perspective view-of my cushioning unit alone as detached from the lay;

Fig. 7: is a sectional: view similar to Fig. 5 but 5 showing a somewhat modified arrangement of the mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the unit cushioning deviceof the modified structure shown in Fig. '7; 10

Fig. 9.is a fragmental sectional view of a different modification of lever arrangement;

l o isa similar-view toFig. 9 of a still different modification.

In weaving fine goods, and particularly rayon 15 and kindred synthetic fibres, it is essential that the reed action, in applying pressure. and in re.- laxing that pressure, besmooth in its action and free from irregularity due touncontrolled friction or obstruction due to uneven wear of co-acting surfaces, or misapplication of the forces invoked in actuating and contrblling the reed. It is desirable that the reed encounter the pick and move it toward its ultimate position with a steady and relatively gentle elastic pressureand. then accomplish the ultimate placement and incorporation of the pick with the fabric by means of more intensebut equally firm, steady and elastic pres--. sure. The spread between the desirable initial pressure and the essential ultimate pressure is too great to be compassed by only a single direct actingspring, within. the restricted extent of contraction or extension which said spring would sustain due to-action. incident to the restricted range of movement of the. reed in beating up the pickhardly more than The spring pressure must be applied. tothe reed by means that will multiply or accelerate the normal increase of intensity of its effect upon the reed during the period of the beat up, either by use of the compound spring disclosed in theiG obeille application supra, or by the device of variable leverage hereinafter described.

The means for stepping up the pressure may be by transferring the pressure from one spring to another, or I employ a lever with variable fulcrum such that the spring action is quickly multiplied, as the lay advances, the peak pressure occurring when the new pick is forced. against the already fabricated product-at the.fell of the cloth; and the following is a more detailed description of the present. embodiment of this invention,;il lustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, I0} designates al breast beam over which the finished fabric ll my the reed in mounted position.

is drawn. I2 designates generally the lay mounted to be swung by a crank I3 and crank arm I4 to move the lay with the reed I5 and its holders I6 and I1 mounted thereon to beat up the previous pick placed in the shed I8 formed by the harnesses I 9 and which raise and lower the warps 2| and 22 drawn from the warp beam 23 across the guide 24 and through the lease 25; the foregoing being all usual loom structure and known in the art.

The lay I2 is mounted in the lay sword 26 which has a bracket 21 on which the lay rests, which bracket is extended upward behind and against the lay at 28. At the upper end of the sword is mounted an L-shaped pivot block adjustable by the slot 30 in the lay sword through which it is bolted to the lay sword. The block is provided with a cone projection 3| which, with the opening 33 in the arm 32 constitutes one of the bearings by which the reed is pivotally or pendulously mounted on the lay.

The reed I5 is mounted in the upper and lower reed mounting bars 34 and 35 which are grooved to receive the reed. The bracket arm 32 is provided with an L-shaped foot portion 36 set into the lower surface of the bar 35 with a portion 31 extending along the back thereof, while the upstanding portion 38 extends along the end of this supporting bar 35. The bracket is secured in place on the lower mounting bars by screws 39 extending through the holes 40. The upper bar or reed cap 34 is adjustably held on this bracket arm by means of a thumb screw 4| and bolt 42 extending through the slot 43 in the upper portion of this bracket arm for adjustably holding The lower reed mounting bar 35 is received in the cut-out portion 45 of the lay I2 and may swing upon the cone pivot 3| in the opening 33 rearwardly over the surface 46 of this cut-out portion; and it is this movement of the reed relative to the lay which occurs at each beat of the pick which I desire to control by the cushioning action which will hereinafter be described.

In order to accomplish this controlled cushioning action or resistance to the relative movement of the reed and the lay, I have mounted a plurality of units, usually 4, such as are shown in perspective, in Fig. 6, along the bottom surface of the lay in suitably spaced relation, which units take the place of the other types of springs which are used to engage the reed in the usual loom construction.

Each of these units consist of a body portion designated generally 50 having an attaching face 5| with ears 52 through the openings 53 of which suitable fastening means are positioned, such for instance as wood screws for holding this body to the under surface of the wooden lay with the lip 54 engaging the front edge 55 of the lay to better assist in the positioning of the same thereon.

This body extends downwardly as at 56 and is provided with an opening 51 in alignment with an opening 58 in a downwardly extending lug 59 from the attaching portion of the body. I

A sleeve 60 slidably fits the opening 58 and is provided with a flange 6| to prevent movement through the opening in one direction. A rod 62 is slidably received in the sleeve 60 and extends loosely through the opening 51. A helical spring 63 encircles the rod 62 and abuts against the inner surface of the downwardly-extending portion 56 as at 64 and also abuts against the flange 6| of the sleeve 60, tending to force this sleeve through the opening 58 in one direction. The rod 62 is threaded as at 65 and a nut 66 and check nut 61 serve to provide an adjustable abutment for engaging the sleeve 60 so that the sleeve in effect moves with the rod 62 against the action of the spring 63.

The rod 62 terminates in a fork or yoke 10 which receives a lever 1I provided with a pivot pin 12 extending through the yoke and lever. One end of the lever is provided with anti-friction means such as roll 14 rotatable on a pin 15 fixed in a bifurcated end 16 to engage the hardened contact or abutment plate 11 which is fixed by means of screws 18 on the reed holder bar 35. The other end portion 19 of the lever contacts the extended bearing surface of the downwardly extending portion 58 between the projections 8|, 82 for guiding the movement thereof.

The contacting surface 83 of the end portion 19 of the lever is shaped after the fashion of a cam so that when the lever is in a position, such as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, with the reed seated against the surface 84 of the cut-out, the contact will be at the upper end of the surface 80, or as at 85, whereas when this lever is moved to the dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 5, the contact will be at the lower portion of the surface 80 or as at 86. Thus, the lever changes its fulcrum point as it is moved about its pivot. The change of leverage is such that the spring will be applied through a greater leverage to the reed as the reed moves from its seated position, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus the resistance to the movement of the reed relative to the lay, in reacting to its encounter with the fell of the cloth will have an accelerated increase of intensity as compared with the increase in intensity of reaction of the spring to movement of the lever; and pressure is applied to the pick with moderation, gradually, but with acceleration which culminates in an abrupt intensification such as a single spring, acting directly on the reed could not achieve, or a single spring acting on a plain lever.

The lever II is formed with a tooth or dowel I2I which extends into a conformed opening I22 in the downward portion 56 of the body 50. This dowelling or interlocking maintains the vertical relation of the lever 1|, the rod 51 and the bearings in which said rod works to avoid friction and prevent undue resistance to action of the rod.

In the modified construction which I have illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the body portion of the cushioning device is designated and is provided with ears 9| having openings 92 for the securing of this body portion to the bottom of the lay I2 with a lip 93 engaging the front 55 of the lay I2. This body has forwardly extending arms 94 with a cross piece 95 having an opening 98 therein for the reception of the sleeve 91 which is provided with a flange 98 to prevent the sleeve from sliding in one direction in the opening 96.

A downwardly depending portion 99 receives a threaded sleeve I00 having a head portion IOI and a check nut I02 for securing this threaded sleeve in the threaded opening I03 in the downwardly depending portion 99. A rod I04 extends through this sleeve I00 and through the sleeve 91 while a coiled spring I05 encircles the rod and acts between the end of the sleeve I00 and the head 98 of the sleeve 91, tending to move the sleeve through the opening 96.

A spring I06 located within the sleeve 91 also encircles the rod I 04 and engages the inner surface of the head 98, and a washer I01 which is adjustably held'in position by a nut I08 and check nut 39% on the threaded end I I of the rod M4 rod: I04 extends loosely through an opening I M in a lever H2 and a washer H3 is held inposition by a: nut I I4 for engagement with the lever. This lever is pivoted to an abutment arm M5 by means of a pivot pin H6,- While at its opposite end there is rotatably supported an antifriction roll M1. to engage the hardened bearing plate H8 secured in position on the reed holding bar 35 by screws Hi9; Thus, as the reed or its holding bar 35 swings outwardly about its pivot, it moves the lever H2 about its pivot H6 and the rod I 04?, there being resistance offered to this movement by reason first of a spring I06 which is of light weight until this rod has moved so as to cause the washer I01 to engage the end I of the sleeve 91, whereupon further movement of the rod." guides the sleeve through its opening 96 and compresses the stronger spring I05 until it has reached its limit of pressure required to interlock the pick with the warp and incorporate it with the fiabric.

By this last or modified arrangement I provide first a weak spring and then a stronger spring for resisting the movement of the lay, thus the action, instead of being purely progressive in an increment stage as previously described, is resisted first by a weak spring, the resistance gradual ly increasing, and-then by a stronger spring whose resistancegradually increases as it is compressed, the leverage affording a very nice control and easy manipulation oithis arrangement and an arrangement whereby a shorter movement of the springs is necessary than where the springs act directly upon a movement co-extensive with the movement of the reed, as in the application above referred to at the beginning hereof; and thus, by this shorter movement of the lever which occurs inboth this form and in the previous forms, I acquire a better control and an evener tension of the spring than has heretofore been acquired.

Inasmuch as some-looms are not so precisely built as are some of the more modern types, I provide means for compensating for such variations of structure and of relation as may occur.

Figs. 9 and 1.0- disclose derivations from my preferred construction of Figs. 5 and 6. Both illustrate the fact that the longer the pendant abutment and the-lower lever arm, the wider the pressure range between that derived through the upper fulcrum and that derived through the lower fulcrum".

Fig. 9 shows my device arranged with an adjustable abutment I23 which swings on the pin I24' within the pendant portion I25 of the body of the device. The lever I26 is connected with the spring controlled rod I-21 as above described. The-upper arm of the lever carries an anti-friction roll I28 which is held against the bearing plate I29 on the reed holder I30. The lever I20 is held in relation to the abutment I23 by the tooth I3I as already described. The lower arm I32 of the lever has a face I33 of cam formation such that the pressure of the roll I28 on the plate I29 increases rapidly as the reed achieves the extreme of its movement. At its bottom the pendant portion I25 has a transverse portion or bridge I46. Through this bridge extends a tapped hole I41 which carries a set screw I48.

A check nut I49 serves to lock the set screw in position once it has been adjusted. The extremity I50 of the set screw serves as a stop to determine the position of the pendant abutment member I23.

The bolt I5 I' passes freely through a size hole I52 and takes into a tapped hole I53 in the pendant abutment member I23, serving to draw back said member I 2 3 upon the set screw I 48 and hold it there.

The modification shown in Fig. 10 has the adjustment on the lever rather than on the abutment. In consequence, this adaptation does not produce a regularly graduated increase of pressure but rather'an abrupt change as in the structure of Figs. 7 and. 8 Where the reaction is transferred from a relatively light spring to a relatively heavy spring.

The downward extending portion I 35 of the body of the device is fixed, and it carries a hardened abutment I36. The lever I31 at the extremity of its downward projecting arm carries a set screw I38 and preferably a check nut I39. The lever I31 is interlocked with or dowelled to the downwardly extending portion I40 of the body by the tooth formation I4I as previously described. The lever I3 1 has the usual antifriction roll I42 at the extremity of its upper arm, said roll being brought upon the bearing plate I43 by the spring pressure rod I44 as has already been described. The bearing plate is onthe reed holder I45 as in the previously described structures.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a spring for resisting relative movement of said lay and reed, and a lever through which said spring acts, said: lever having a shifting fulcrum with reference to the relatively movable parts.

2. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a spring for resisting relative movement of said lay and reed, and a lever through which said spring acts, said lever rocking on one of said relatively movable parts to change its leverage with reference to said spring.

3. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a spring for resisting relative movement of said lay and; reed, a lever through which said spring acts, said lever rocking on one of said relatively movable parts to change its leverage with relation to said spring, and said leverage change progressively increasing the resistance to said movement.

4. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and said lay and movable upon relative movement of said lay and reed, and resilient means resisting movement of said lever, said lever having means providing a rocking point of contact to change its effective leverage with relation to said resilient means.

5. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and said lay and movable upon relative movement of said lay and reed, and resilient means resisting movement of said lever, said lever having a cam surface providing a rocking point of contact to change its effective leverage with relation to said resilient means.

6. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and said lay and movable upon relative movement of said lay and reed, a spring resisting movement of said lever, said lever having a cam surface contacting said lay and rocking thereon to change its effective leverage with relation to said spring.

7. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and said lay and movable upon relative movement of said lay and reed, a spring resisting movement of said lever, said lever having a cam surface contacting said lay and rocking thereon to change its effective leverage with relation to said spring, the opposite end of said lever having anti-friction means contacting said reed.

8. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and at a point spaced therefrom contacting said lay, a rod pivotally connected to said lever intermediate said points of contact, and a spring encircling said rod and resisting movement thereof in one direction and urging the rod in the other direction, said lever having a rockable engagement with said lay to vary the effective leverage relative to said rod.

9. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever contacting said reed and at a point spaced therefrom contacting said lay, a

rod pivotally connected to said leverintermediate said points of contact, and a spring encircling said rod and resisting movement thereof in one direction and urging the rod in the other direction, said lever having a cam surface with rockable engagement with said lay to vary the eiIective leverage relative to said rod.

10. In a loom, the combination with a reed, reed holder and lay, of a spring to press the reed holder toward the lay, a lever through which the spring acts upon the reed holder, a varying fulcrum about which the lever is swung by the spring for a varying leverage relation, and means to mount the aforesaid elements operatively in the loom for the purpose described.

11. In a loom, the combination with a reed, reed holder and lay, of a spring to press the reed holder toward the lay, a lever through which the spring acts upon the reed holder, a varying fulcrum about which the lever is swung by the spring arranged to increase the extent of lever to multiply the effect of the spring in the reed holder as moved away from the lay, and means to mount the aforesaid elements operatively in the loom for the purpose described.

12. In combination, a loom having a lay, a reed, a reed holder and means to pendulously mount the reed holder on the lay, means to limit movement of the reed holder in one direction, a lever abutting the lay adjacent one extremity and abutting the reed holder at another extremity, anti-friction devices interposed between the last named extremity and the reed holder, and a spring device acting upon the said lever between the two named extremites with elastic re-action to movement of the reed holder and with accelerated intensity from a moderate initial pressure to a relatively heavy pressure at the moment the reed is consummating the beat up of the pick.

13. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a reed, a reed holder, means for pendulously mounting the red holder, of a lever bearing on the reed holder at one portion, an abutment on the lay to which another portion of said lever is pivotally secured, a compound spring mounted in the body of the abutment member, which spring acts with stepped up intensity, and means to connect the spring with the lever to cause the spring to act on the lever.

14. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a reed,a reed holder,means for pendulously mounting the reed holder of a lever bearing on the reed holder at one portion, an abutment on the lay to which another portion of said lever is pivotally secured, a compound spring mounted in the body of the abutment member, which spring acts with stepped up intensity, means to connect the spring with the lever to cause the spring to act on the lever, and anti-friction devices through which the lever bears on said reed holder.

15. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a reed, a reed holder, means for pendulously mounting the reed holder of a lever bearing on the reed holder at one portion, an abutment on the lay to which another portion of said lever is pivotally secured, a compound spring mounted in the body of the abutment member, comprising two springs arranged to act successively on said lever to step up the intensity of resistance to movement of the reed.

16. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever bearing against the reed by one contact point and bearing on the lay by another point in the levers length, the lever being movable with movement of reed and lay relative to each other, and a spring acting on said lever to resist such relative movement of reed and lay, the lever bearing at one of said points of contact with rocker action to shift the spacing of the points of contact and change the efiective leverage with which the said spring acts.

17. In a loom, a lay, a reed movably mounted on said lay, a lever bearing on said reed and lay by two points of contact, variably spaced with movement of the lever under change in relation of the said reed and lay, and having a cam formation at one of said points of contact to effect such change in spacing, and resilient means resisting the movement of the lever with change of leverage due to the change in spacing between the two points of contact aforesaid.

EDWIN C. SMITH. 

